The DfE have published some helpful guidance for School’s on safeguarding children against harmful online challenges and online hoaxes, which includes advice on:
Preparing in advance for any online challenges and hoaxes
Consider embedding an effective approach to planning for, and responding to, online challenges and online hoaxes in relevant policies such as:
- child protection
- behaviour
- staff behaviour
- mobile devices
Help children and young people, parents, carers and staff be clear, in advance, what your institution is likely to do when a harmful online challenge or online hoax begins to circulate.
This section also has some key questions, which include: –
Does your Internet filtering system provide an appropriate level of filtering?
How do you monitor usage on your devices to ensure the safety of your pupils?
Not sure how to answer either of the above questions, with our tailored solutions and strategic partners including Hello Telecom and Senso.cloud we are happy to help!
Give us a call, an email, setup a meeting or review our website for more information.
You can also use the free Filtering test facility provided by SWGFL and accessed here: –
Test Your Internet Filter | SWGfL Test Filtering
Safeguarding children and young people
Ensure your Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is involved.
Undertake a case-by-case assessment, establishing the scale and nature of the possible risk to your children and young people and make use of the free Professionals Online Safety Helpline: –
Professionals Online Safety Helpline | Safer Internet Centre
Sharing information with parents and carers
A key point here is to check the facts, the DfE have provided numerous resources to help with this, including :-
Some useful websites that can help determine if an online story is true:
They have also linked to this excellent guidance called Think Before you Scare as there is a lot of evidence to say that sharing information about a hoax or harmful challenge can do more harm than good.
Online Safety Alerts – Think Before you Scare | The Education People
To read the DfE guidance in full please click here
